Gwangju bolsters safety measures for chuseok holiday

The South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City is rolling out a "chuseok holiday safety management plan" ahead of the holiday to help residents and returning travelers enjoy a safe and comfortable chuseok, a Korean harvest festival.

The plan focuses on preventing disasters and accidents that could occur during the holiday period and minimizing inconvenience to residents. It includes round-the-clock disaster response management, stepped-up pre-holiday safety inspections, and separate safety measures for transportation and medical services.

The city also plans to concentrate on safety management at the venue for the Yeosu World Islands Expo, which is expected to draw large numbers of visitors during the chuseok holiday.

Up to 661 safety personnel will be deployed daily at the expo grounds, and the city will use drones and other tools to reduce blind spots and monitor the site in real time.

Public and private authorities will jointly inspect 278 multi-use facilities during the holiday, including traditional markets, retail facilities, passenger terminals, performance and viewing venues, and nursing hospitals. The inspections aim to check facility safety conditions and remove potential hazards in advance.

Construction sites for Line 2 of the urban railway will also undergo intensive inspections of traffic control facilities, safety equipment and temporary structures.

To prevent fires, the city will closely inspect 503 locations, including warehouses, lodging facilities, movie theaters and traditional markets, checking for fire hazards such as blocked emergency exits and shut-off or disabled fire safety facilities.

In preparation for increased traffic, the city will operate a traffic management situation room and a passenger terminal situation room. These will maintain response systems for controlling operations during bad weather, responding quickly to traffic accidents, and carrying out emergency repairs to road facilities.

To minimize gaps in medical care, 59 emergency medical institutions across the South Jeolla-Gwangju area will provide 24-hour emergency treatment. The city will also designate and operate medical institutions and pharmacies that remain open during the holiday.